Install GNOME on SME Server 7.4

GNOME by default is not included on SME Server 7.4. Install GNOME is easy.
Enable group on base and updates repository.

# db yum_repositories setprop base EnableGroups yes
# db yum_repositories setprop updates EnableGroups yes

Update yum configuration

# expand-template /etc/yum.smerepos.d/sme-base.repo

Then install GNOME ( repo base was not enabled by default so we manually enable )

# yum -y --enablerepo=base groupinstall gnome-desktop

Add symbolic links for X Font Server

# ln -s /etc/init.d/xfs /etc/rc7.d/S38xfs

Add X Font Server service to database

# config set xfs service status enabled

GNOME Display Manager(gdm) will complaint about profile.Open file /etc/profile.d/e-smith-lib_compspec.sh and replace dash (-) with underscore (_) on

_esmith_signal-event ()
_esmith_expand-template ()

Add custom template for inittab

# mkdir -p /etc/e-smith/templates-custom/etc/inittab
echo 'x:7:respawn:/etc/X11/prefdm -nodaemon' > /etc/e-smith/templates-custom/etc/inittab/99xwindows

Update inittab

# expand-template /etc/inittab

Set default desktop to GNOME

# echo 'DESKTOP=GNOME' > /etc/sysconfig/desktop
# echo 'DISPLAYMANAGER=GNOME' >> /etc/sysconfig/desktop

Download and install modified redhat graphical boot package from here

# wget http://besme.googlecode.com/files/rhgb-0.14.1-10.el4.sme.i386.rpm
# yum localinstall rhgb-0.14.1-10.el4.sme.i386.rpm

Modify file /etc/grub.conf, add option quiet and rhgb

default=1
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/smeserver.xpm.gz
foreground 000000
background 4E95D3
hiddenmenu
title SME Server (2.6.9-78.0.8.ELsmp)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-78.0.8.ELsmp ro root=/dev/main/root quiet rhgb
initrd /initrd-2.6.9-78.0.8.ELsmp.img
title SME Server-up (2.6.9-78.0.8.EL)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-78.0.8.EL ro root=/dev/main/root quiet rhgb
initrd /initrd-2.6.9-78.0.8.EL.img

Reboot system

# signal-event reboot